1920 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNA! 



179 



Crop and Market Report 



Compiled by M. G. Dadant 



Owing to the extra long and hard winter, we look for 

 severe losses throughout the whole north of the country, 

 and the reports coming in confirm this to a large extent. 

 Throughout the New England States the losses have been 

 extra heavy, ranging around 25 per cent. 



In New York, cellar wintered bees seem to be coming 

 out with a 2 to 4 per cent loss, where there is no disease. 

 Outside, the loss will run from 20 to 30 per cent, and 

 probably more where there is disease. The prevalence of 

 American foulbrood in some localities in New York will 

 just about wipe out some of the beekeepers. 



One report from Pennsylvania giv°s the loss at 40 per 

 cent, while others do not seem to think it will be quite so 

 severe. In New Jersey the loss will be about 25 per cent. 

 Throughout the southeast the loss do^s not seem to be 

 so heavy, although we have a report from one of the 

 large Georgia beekeepers that his loss will range around 

 20 per cent. Other reports indicate from 1 to 5 per cent 

 loss. This applies to all the territory south of the Ohio 

 and east of the Mississippi river. 



Losses throughout southern Illinois, Missouri and 

 southern Iowa seem to be small, while further north the 

 losses increase. In Wisconsin cellar wintered bees are 

 coming out in very good shape. In Michigan cellared 

 bees report about a 2 to 5 per cent loss. Through the 

 States of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, however, 

 outdoor wintered bees are reporting very heavy losses, 

 ranging from 20 to 40 per cent. 



In Texas the loss has been from 5 to 15 per cent, aver- 

 aging probably about 10 per cent, while some apiaries 

 report no loss, with bees in excellent condition. Arizona 

 and New Me.xico have an average loss of from 2 to 5 per 

 cent, while Colorado reports better than ordinary with 

 from 2 to 7 per cent loss. Some few apiarists report much 

 heavier loss than this, ranging from 15 to 20 per cent. 



In Montana the loss has been fairly large, ranging from 

 5 to 15 per cent, as it has in Wyoming and Utah. One re- 

 porter in Idaho reports 75 per cent of his bees dead on 

 account of honeydew stores. 



In California the percentage of loss varies greatly. 

 Some of the best beekeepers report 15 to 20 per cent loss, 

 while some in more favorable localities think that their 

 loss will not run 2 per cent. 



CROP PROSPECTS 



The white clover prospects are very clouded. In the 

 New England States they seem to be from poor to fair, 

 whereas. New York and Pennsylvania claim very good 

 prospects for clover. Throughout the rest of the north 

 prospects are only fair. Reports from Iowa indicate that 



different sections of the State will have from poor to ex- 

 cellent crops of clover, should the weather be good. 

 Throughout the southeast the prospects are very good, 

 as they are in Texas. The northwest cannot report until 

 later just what honey conditions will be, but reports seem 

 to indicate that the sweet clover will come out in good 

 shape. In California the prospects are fair. 

 WHAT WILL THE PRICE BE? 



The poor demand for honey now and the lower price 

 would indicate that the price on honey for next year 

 would not be quite as high as it was last fall. However, 

 the sugar situation has much to do with the price of 

 honey. 



We have been following very closely the prices of sugar 

 in the late market and do not see from them any indica- 

 tions that honey should be very low in price. Sugar is 

 selling in the retail market at 28c per pound, and is 

 probably a little higher in the east. 



Our wholesale dealer advises us that we will have to 

 pay about 22c to 25c for the next sugar he is able to sell 

 us for feeding our bees, whereas the last lot bought a few 

 weeks ago cost us less than 18c. 



Raw sugar is now quoted on the New York market at 

 18c per pound, with pure refined approximately higher. 



The selling of futures in sugar would not give any indi- 

 cations that the price is to drop before winter, Practi- 

 cally every report gives a raise in future of from 60 to 100 

 points, the only Irop in futures being reported for the 

 next March delivery. With such conditions it would not 

 seem that the sugar price would be much below 20c per 

 pound and would possibly range mucli higher. Inside 

 conversation with a buyer who had bought two or three 

 million pounds of sugar in Cuba last fall indicates that 

 he is of the opinion that sugar will sell at wholesale at 

 from 30 t'o 35c per pound before winter. With this high 

 price there is no doubt but that honey will hold up to 

 present levels, and probably exceed them. 



We give this information for what it is worth and 

 would not care to make any guess as to what the results 

 would be. However, we believe that beekeepers who are 

 holding honey on hand should not be discouraged at not 

 being able to sell it at the figure they are asking. Surely 

 the price of honey cannot drop very much. 



The United States Department of Agriculture market 

 report indicates that the demand for honey in all large 

 centers is very weak and few sales are reported. The 

 amount of export during February of honey amounted 

 to 335,000 pounds, whereas last year practically a million 

 pounds were exported. 



Take a Tip From Me, Beginners 



I've used "ffllCOH" queens and bee 

 supplies over 20 years. Always had 

 luck with them. My advice to you 

 is: let "ffllCOIt" supplies start you 

 on the right road. Swarms of suc- 

 cessful apiarists say the same thing 



For over 40 years "falCOn" supplies have 

 been marketed wherever high quality 

 is recognized. Experienced bee-keepers 

 buy them year in and year out. 



W. T. FALCONER MFG. COMPANY 

 Falconer, N. Y., U. S. A. 



Where the Best Beehives Come From 



Write for Red Catalog and " 

 plified Beeiecpins" 



ORDER AT ONCE 



